


Day Two Hundred Seventy || For the Planet

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [270]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 04:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20829326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: No matter how humanity is struggling...life goes on. Such a realization can be a bit humbling for a few people just trying to survive.





	Day Two Hundred Seventy || For the Planet

**Author's Note:**

> (This is a sequel to day 197!)

When the sun rises, Sasuke opens his eyes, staring up at a growingly-familiar ceiling. It’s been a few weeks since he and his brother holed up in an old, abandoned farmhouse east of their hometown. It’s still in pretty good condition, a few chickens somehow still alive and rooting around the place. A hand pump means they can draw water, and the food they’d found lasted a while before they had to start making treks into other places to look for supplies.

Which, incidentally, is where they - or, Sasuke more specifically - ran into their newest guests while on the run from walkers. Literally. A pair of sisters, around or younger than his age. Hinata, the elder, and Hanabi, the younger. They’d literally crossed paths while fleeing a triggered boobytrap that attracted the dead like flies to honey. She’d managed to save his life, and then give him a lift back home in exchange for some of his spoils.

But the fall of night meant it not being safe to leave, so...the girls spent it here. While they claimed the upstairs, Sasuke and Itachi had camped out on the ground level.

Itachi is still sleeping, huddled up opposite his brother. He’s a bit pale...must be cold. The nights are getting longer, and with the sun gone longer, it’s only getting chillier.

Sasuke dreads the thought of Winter. There’s a decently-stacked wood shed, but he’s not sure how safe it is to use the hearth in the sitting room. They can block out the windows to hide the light, but the smoke might warrant...unwanted attention. And when the weather turns, going out in search of food will be even harder. Sasuke has no experience hunting, and they only have so much ammunition for the pistol and rifle they’ve come across during their travels further and further east.

They’ve been so unsure about surviving day to day, planning for the upcoming season just...hasn’t been a priority. And now that they’ve made it this far, Winter looms before them like a mountain. Sighing, Sasuke slings an arm up over his eyes. If he thinks about this too much, it’s going to give him a headache…

So, instead, he opts to get up, careful not to wake his brother. Itachi sleeps peacefully so rarely anymore, Sasuke would rather lose a hand than take any rest from him.

Looking out the nearest window, he finds the morning to be rather foggy, still overcast like yesterday. But the muffled sounds of birdsong still reach through the panes, and he can’t help but find a little joy in that. It’s funny...humanity is suffering, dying, clawing to survive. And the rest of nature just goes on like business as usual.

Funny, really.

Able to glean little else, he makes his way upstairs, skipping the steps he knows make loud creaks. The door to the bedroom the boys offered is closed, and he gently knocks once he reaches it.

“Come in.”

In a way, he’s a bit...hesitant. It’s been so long since they’ve had another cordial human being around, he’s almost unsure how to act. But permission has been given, so he carefully turns the knob and peers in.

Hinata’s awake, sitting up against the wall her bed lies beside. Hanabi, however, is still asleep, head on her sister’s lap despite the other empty bed. Hands weave slow fingers through her hair.

“It’s been a while since she’s slept so soundly,” Hinata murmurs, eyes turned down to her sibling. “...I hope we’re not overstaying our welcome.”

“Not at all,” he assures her, leaning against the doorframe. “It’s nice to have some polite company, honestly.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been a while.”

“...Itachi’s still sleeping, too. Figured I might as well let him rest.”

“It’s a precious commodity most nights.”

“That’s for sure.”

A companionable silence falls between them, Hinata still tending to Hanabi’s hair.

“...mind if I ask a personal question?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“What was your...situation like before the plague hit?”

“I was in college, studying botany. My sister was in high school. We lived with our father - our mother died not long after Hanabi was born. He worked in a law office. We were just...a fairly typical middle class family, I suppose.”

“Botany, huh?”

“Mhm...mostly because I love flowers so much. My mother was always very fond of them, so...they make me feel closer to her.” After an appropriate pause, Hinata asks, “...what about you?”

“Wasting my time on a business degree my dad wanted me to have,” Sasuke replies blandly. “Itachi was already working for him when things went to hell. My dad owned a pretty decent computer tech company. Wanted us both in on it. My mom was a school teacher, but took a few years off when my brother and I were little. She’d gotten back into it full time when I started middle school.”

Neither of them breech the explanations why none of their parents are with them now.

Likely for good reason.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Hinata then comments as the conversation falls flat. “You can almost forget what’s going on out there…”

“Yeah...until you have to make a supply run...and get your ass saved by a madwoman with a shovel,” Sasuke replies, unable to help a hint of a grin.

Hinata does her best to suppress a smile. “I suppose that’s true. But it’s...strange, isn’t it? Just...seeing the world go on while we’re all so out of place and l-lost.”

“...yeah. It is. Was just thinking about that when I got up. Hearing the birds singing, seeing the weather change...nature really doesn’t give a shit, does it?”

“...sometimes I wonder if, in the grand scheme of things…” Hinata trails off, looking unsure if she should speak. “...if...if this was the best way things could go for the planet. It was pretty clear humans were going to be their own downfall one way or...or another. At least this way no bombs went off, nothing really...catastrophic happened. All of the industries killing the Earth are stopped, so few running cars...maybe life as a whole will do a lot b-better without us around, huh?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. So long as some idiot doesn’t make their way to DC and uncover some launch codes just for the hell of it.”

“I hope not. But the more I get to just...sit and think about it...the more this all feels like it makes sense. We spent so long killing our home, acting like a disease...and now a disease will be the end of us. It’s almost...comforting, in a really w-weird way. At least to me. I can make peace with it. I’ll do my best to survive, and protect my sister. But...I know in the long run, we’re out of time. So...I just try to make due with w-what I have.”

For a long moment, Sasuke doesn’t reply...because he doesn’t _have_ a reply. Maybe a foolish part of him - in spite of the logic - still thinks they can make it. Live out a decent chunk of life before meeting their ends one way or another. And yet he isn’t even sure how they’re going to conquer their first Winter. “...guess I don’t really think about it. I just...take things one day at a time. Each one we make it through is a little victory. But...I know what you mean. I might be the younger sibling, but...I do my best to take care of my brother. He’s always been a little...sickly. Kinda frail. In all honesty...I’m amazed he’s made it this far. I’ll do whatever I have to to make what time we’ve got count. And I’ll fight for every day I can give him, until...well, there’s none left.”

Hinata gives him a small, somber smile. “...then I guess our goals are the same. Hopefully that...makes us allies?”

“I’d like to think so. Humans are stronger together than apart. Maybe a few extra hands is a good thing.”

“Well, they also come with extra mouths.”

“Yeah...but I think the gains outweigh the costs. Once everyone’s up...maybe we’ll talk a bit more about it. I wouldn’t be against pooling our resources and abilities. But we’d better make sure it’s unanimous, right?”

“I agree.”

For the first time in a while, Sasuke feels...something in his chest.

He dares to call it hope.

“...well, I’ll go start some breakfast. These two’ll probably be up by the time it’s done.”

“All right. Need any help?”

“Nah. Besides, you’re occupied,” Sasuke replies, nodding to Hanabi’s head in her lap. “...let her sleep while she can.”

“...thank you, Sasuke.”

**Author's Note:**

> More of the zombie apocalypse verse! It's been a while since the first one, and I'll admit I missed it a bit. I'm still a few days behind, but I'm hoping I can start catching up here over the next few days :'D We'll see what Life throws at me lol
> 
> Anyway, it seems we might have a potential alliance on our hands! Which would be good - many hands make light work, and though that does also mean more mouths to feed, it just might help them get through the Winter. Hinata's pretty skilled at taking out the undead with a shovel - maybe she can hunt with one, too xD
> 
> Anyway, it's veeery late, so I better call it a night. Thanks for reading!


End file.
